Cushioned tie plate



July 26, 1955 E, K, LQFTON 2,713,974

HIONED TIE PLATE y 6, 1955 E. K. LOFTON 2,713,974

CUSHIONED TIE PLATE Fild April 26, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

EDGAR K- LOFTON ATT'Y.

United CUSHIONED Tin PLATE Edgar K. Lofton, Dayton, Ghio, assignor to The Dayton Rubber Company, a corporation of Ohio Application April 26, 1954;, Serial No. 158,248

2 Claims. (Ci. 238-483) This invention relates to railway tie plates and more particularly to tie plates designed to cushion the rails and reduce creep, shock, vibration, and noise.

Cushioned tie plates have been described in the prior art, but these have in the main been too expensive in construction to permit extensive use, and have frequently tended to make the rails unstable and thus subject to toppling or distortion. Such tie plates have also been subject to loosening and creeping due to the nature of the stresses involved.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to present a novel tie plate, simple in design and construction, low in cost, and easy to install. It is also an object of the present invention to present a novel tie plate construction having increased stability, resistance to shock, vibration, loosening and creeping, etc., and in which the essential parts are readily replaceable.

These and other objects apparent to those skilled in the art, are achieved by means of the tie plate construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein: v

Figure 1 is a view in elevation showing a rail section supported on the tie plate.

Figure 2 is a cross section along lines 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view in elevation of the metal base portion of the tie plate.

Figure 4 is a view in elevation of the resilient cushioning member.

Figure 5 is a view in elevation of the rail clamping member.

Figure 6 is a detailed cross sectional view taken along lines 6-6 of Figure 5 showing a portion of the rail clamping member and having in addition, a strip of cushioning material afiixed thereto.

In accordance with the present invention the resilient cushioning member rests directly upon the tie so that the load is therefore transmitted directly to the tie through the cushioning member. The tie plate is designed with a central opening into which the cushioning member is inserted. The plate is spiked to the ties, and the rail instead of being spikeddirectly to the tie plate is engaged by a separate clamping member associated with the tie plate but separable therefrom, and which is in turn spiked to the tie. The clamping member is so designed as to firmly engage the rail and to resist stresses which tend to loosen it. As a result, the tie plate itself receives only a small portion of the total burden of the rail and traflic thereon, and will therefore resist creeping and loosening. At the same time the stresses on the tie are cushioned by the cushioning member supported directly between. the tie and the rail. The

cushioning member is replaceable whenever necessary.

The separate clamping member permits firm anchoring of the rail and ready tightening or replacement if necessary.

In the drawings tie plate 10, formed of drop-forged steel or similar material, is designed with a central opening 14, preferably rectangular in shape (Figure 3). Additional recesses 15 are provided at each side of the tie plate for insertion of the separate rail clamping members. The tie plate is provided with flat end surfaces 12 and raised shoulder portions 13 designed to receive the bottom flange of a rail as shown in Figure 1. A rubber or other resilient cushioning member 16 is positioned within opening 14. Preferably, the portions 12 of the tie plate and insert 16 are formed with a slight camber in order to support the rail at a slight angle to the vertical as is customary practice. Insert 16 is shaped to conform to opening 14 and is slightly thicker than portions 12 of the tie plate so that it will project slightly above this surface and support the rail above the tie plate. The thickness of 16 is such that While under load the rail will not engage the tie plate so that the load will be transmitted directly to the railway tie through the resilient member. The tie plate is secured to the ties by spikes driven through openings 11.

As shown in Figure 5 the rail clamping member 17 is designed with a base portion 18 shaped to fit within opening 15 in the tie plate and having opening 19 through which a spike or other fastening member may be driven. The clamping member has a vertical portion 20 which is designed to abut the edges of cushioning member 16 and the edge of the rail flange. This vertical member terminates in a lip portion 21 which is designed to engage the top surface of the base flange of the rail as shown in Figure 2. Adjacent opening 19 the vertical portion of the clamping member is provided with a concave indentation or recess 22. The depth of the indentation and its spacing from opening 19 are so designed that one edge of the head of a spike 23 will engage the surface of 22 when the spike is driven through opening 19 as shown in dotted lines in Figure 5. The conventional rail spike is constructed with the head projecting slightly farther on one side than on the other and the clamping member is so designed that the longer projecting portion 24 of the head of the spike will fit into and engage the surface of depression 22 as shown. When the spike is driven into the tie through opening 19 the head will be forced into engagement with 22 thus in turn forcing surfaces 26} and 21 into engagement with the edge and top surface of the base of the rail holding it in a firmly clamped condition. It is apparent that when stresses are applied to the rail which would normally tend to lift the base of the rail vertically, these will be transmitted to surface 21 of the clamping member which in turn would be transmitted laterally to the head of the spike and to the tie plate. The transmission of stresses in this manner will tend to resist loosening of the spike or lifting it in a vertical direction as would normally occur where the rail is spiked directly to the tie. Surface 21 of the clamping member may be provided, if desired, with a layer 24 of resilient cushioning material, such as rubber or the like, as shown in Figure 6. As shown, recess 22 is vertically disposed, but if desired, it may slope outwardly to a certain extent to insure firm engagement with the rail when the spike head is forced down against its clamp.

Cushioning member 16 may be formed either of natural or synthetic rubber having a composition and density such that it will resist stresses of the nature involved. Furthermore, the cushioning member may preferably be of a sunlight, creosote and oil-resisting material. Natural rubber has been found to be resistant to creosote and other similar materials commonly used for treating railroad ties. On the other hand, natural rubber has a tendency to oxidize when exposed to sunlight with a resultant change in its physical properties after prolonged exposure. It is also not highly resistant to oils. Certain types of synthetic rubber have high resistance to oils 'ice and sunlight but poor resistance to creosote and the like. Applicant has now discovered that the cushioning member may be constructed so as to be creosote resistant as well as sunlight and oil resistant by forming it in layers or laminations as shown in Figure 4, with a layer 1612 of natural rubber compound on the bottom and a layer 16:: of oil and sunlight synthetic rubber on top. The synthetic rubber compound may be one comprising neoprene (polychloroprene), or other oil-resistant materials, such as the butadiene-acrylic nitrile copolymer, or other rubber-like, oil-resistant materials or mixtures thereof, Neoprene is the preferred material in View of its high oil and sunlight resistance.

While the invention has been described with reference to specific structural details, it will be understood that departure therefrom may be made by those skilled in the art. Such modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A rail clamping member having a base portion engaging the top surface of a rail supporting member, an opening in said base portion and a headed fastening member passing vertically therethrough fastening said base portion to said rail supporting member, a vertical portion extending upwardly from said base, a projecting lip portion extending outwardly from said vertical portion engaging the upper surface of the base flange of a rail, said vertical portion having a longitudinal recessed portion adjacent to the opening in the base portion receiving the head of the fastening member, the wall of said recessed portion being engaged by the head of said fastening member.

2. A railway tie plate assembly comprising a rectangular steel body portion secured to a railway tie, a rectangular central opening in said body member, spaced, parallel vertically projecting shoulders along two opposite sides of said opening receiving the base flange of a rail therebetween, a resilient cushioning member positioned in said opening between said shoulders and projecting above said body member and supporting the base of the rail, an opening in each side of the tie plate adjacent said shoulders, a rail clamping member positioned in each of said side openings having a base portion secured to the railway tie by means of a headed fastening member passing vertically through said base portion, said clamping member having a vertically extending portion providing an upwardly extending recessed portion adjacent the base flange of said rail and a lip portion overhanging and engaging the top surface of said rail flange, the head of said fastening member engaging the side of said vertical portion and forcing said lip portion into firm engagement with said rail flange.

re erences Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 283,076 Chapman Aug. 14, 1883 487,351 Price Dec. 6, 1892 540,243 Garner et al. June 4, 1895 1,020,096 Holden Mar. 12, 1912 1,314,918 Walker Sept. 2, 1919 1,334,673 Osborn Mar. 23, 1920 1,518,870 Osborn Dec. 9, 1924 2,009,309 Davies et a1. July 23, 1935 2,110,894 Stedman Mar. 15, 1938 2,162,599 Austin June 13, 1939 2,257,923 Verplank Oct. 7, 1941 2,260,238 Stedman Oct. 21, 1941 2,377,942 Johnson June 12, 1945 

